Get Certified

Most Americans eat some kosher food every day, but chances are they’re not aware of it. Take a walk down the aisles of any supermarket and you will see that certification appears on over 60% of America’s produced foods that are certified kosher, from the coveted Oreo to the thirst-quenching Coca-Cola. Over $150 billion of kosher certified products are consumed annually, and spending continues to rise dramatically.

Instructions

Cut acorn squash in half. Place the halves on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Remove the cooked squash from the oven and let cool. Scoop out the flesh from the skin and place it in a stock pot.

In a skillet saute the diced leeks in the margarine. Cook until the leeks are soft. Add the cooked leeks to the squash and about 2/3 of the chicken stock.

Stir everything together and cook, over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add additional chicken stock if too thick. If you prefer a smoother soup you can puree it before serving or you can serve it as is. You can add more chicken stock if the soup is too thick.

Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and garnish the top of each bowl with the chopped toasted pecans and chives.

Kashrut Instructions

FRESH HERBS:

DESCRIPTION: Fresh chives, basil, cilantro, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme are often used as spices or garnishing.

Please Note: Curly leaf parsley is very difficult to check. It is therefore recommended that only flat leaf parsley be used.

INFESTATION: Aphids, thrips and other insects may often be found on the leaves and stems of these herbs. Insects tend to nestle in the crevices between the leaves and branches of herbs. These insects can curl up and stick to the leaf once they come in contact with water.

Vegetable spinners, power hoses, and light boxes are not always available in the home. We therefore recommend the following alternate procedure.

RECOMMENDATION: In order to determine if a particular bunch of herbs is infested prior to washing, bang it several times over a white cloth. This is most important when checking oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. If only one or two insects are found proceed with the steps below. If three or more insects are detected in a particular bunch of herbs it should not be used.

INSPECTION:

Soak herbs in a solution of cold water and vegetable wash. The proper amount of vegetable wash has been added when some bubbles are observed in the water. (In the absence of vegetable wash, several drops of concentrated unscented liquid detergent may be used. However, for health reasons, care must be taken to thoroughly rinse off the soapy solution.)

Agitate the herbs in the soapy water, in order to loosen the sticking excretion of the bugs.

Using a heavy stream of water, thoroughly wash off the soap and other foreign matter from the herbs.

Check both sides of each leaf under direct light.

If one or two insects are found, rewash the herbs.

If any insects are found after repeating the agitation process twice, the entire bunch must be discarded.

Please note: To prepare herbs such as cilantro, dill, or parsley for use in soups, wash them thoroughly and place in a cooking bag.

SCALLIONS:

INFESTATION: Green onions, also referred to as scallions, have a white base that develops into a bulb. Its long, straight green shoots branch forth from the bulb. Light green or brown thrips may occasionally be found between the green branches where they protrude from the bulb. Less frequently, they can be found on the outside or inside of the long green shoots.

INSPECTION:

A vertical cut should be made from the top of the scallion’s green shoot to the bottom of the bulb. Examine three scallions from each bunch, paying careful attention to the area between the branches that protrude from the bulb.

If no insects are found, wash thoroughly under a heavy stream of water or power hose and use.